


Quest for the Kingdom

by MarvelousMenagerie (HiddenOne)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: King Arthur AU, M/M, Medieval AU, knight!steve, with magic involved, wizard!Tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 22:22:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8303375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenOne/pseuds/MarvelousMenagerie
Summary: The magical sword Excalibur has been stolen, and somehow Tony the Court Wizard ends up on search. And of course he's put with Sir Steve Rogers.
Tony opens his mouth but Rogers cuts him off, “If you don’t like it take it up with the king. I already tried to talk him out of it.”
Tony snaps his jaw shut and glares. He shouldn’t, can’t be hurt, he doesn’t want to go on this adventure with Rogers of all people anyway. Rogers, who doesn’t think he has any skills. Rogers, who is going to spend this entire time comparing Tony to his father. Rogers, who thinks Howard invented magic when he gave Rogers his shield.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For the Stony Bingo prompt: Camelot!
> 
> Tags will be updated as needed. Also, with the exception of Thor, everyone's phrasings and sentences are going to sound modern, so if that's something that's going to bother you - fair warning!

“If all this is to tell everyone we’ve run out of mead, I’m going to curse someone,“ Tony mutters.

Rhodey elbows him in the ribs causing Tony to wheeze. “Be serious,” Rhodey hisses, nodding at a nearby knight.

Few take notice of them, tucked back in the corner as the rest hover around the circular oak table dominating the room. Voices were quiet, no smiles or laughter. Tony hasn't been around for one before, but he's guessing that emergency meetings at the table didn't bring good news.

Tony contemplates sticking his tongue out at Rhodey, but he settles for rolling his eyes. “I don’t like not knowing,” he grumbles.

Instead of teasing, Rhodey frowns. “I don’t like this either,” he agrees quietly.

The doors on the far end of the room swing fully open, the king’s boot heels clicking on the stones as he strides into the room. Immediately voices cut off and there is only the sound of everyone shuffling into place. Rhodey slides behind his chair at the table, and Tony slinks along the wall.

The king makes it to the front, the two knights he had traveled with stopping at their respective places at his immediate left and right chairs. Tony hides his scowl - the serious expressions on the knights’ faces means they know what’s going on already - as he takes his place behind the king.

King Thor takes his seat at the head of the table, difficult to notice at a circular table. Constructed at the start of his rule, the circular table is meant to indicate equality between the knights and their king - but the king’s chair has extra padding for the long meetings, as well as being the only place directly in front of the stained glass window that occupied the majority of the wall behind him.

This places the knights between any threats from inside the castle - and Tony between any threats coming from the window.

Traditionally, Tony as the king’s Court Wizard is expected to spell a shield covering the King’s back in case of assassination attempts. Whoever expects that, though, has no idea the energy levels required to maintain a thick enough shield for protection for five minutes, not to mention the sometimes hours-long meetings.

Tony checks the spells on the window itself, fortifying the decades-old protection spells and the shielding layers he himself has added.

After King Thor is seated, he gives the signal for the rest of his knights to sit. Chairs scrape against the stone, but otherwise there is silence as the knights present take a seat. There are still a handful of empty spaces from those not present - too far away or, Tony considers, not invited. Court politics, his favorite.

“Welcome, my friends. It has been too long since I have seen some of your faces,” King Thor begins, his voice naturally projecting around the entire room. But the smile on his face is small, and he continues, “Unfortunately what brings us together is not good news.”

Thor pauses, and there’s rustlings from the knights. Tony, two steps behind and just to the left of the king, wishes he had pulled up the hood on his cloak so he could more subtly watch the knights’ reactions. Now he would draw too much attention to his movement. He sees Rhodey’s fingers twitch towards his sword.

When it quiets down again, Thor admits, “Excalibur has been stolen.”

Tony rocks back on his heels as gasps and shouts erupt around the room. His eyes dart to the lack of sword, the lack of a scabbard, at Thor’s waist.

“Quiet!” Sir Rogers orders, leaping to his feet at the King’s left.

Tony’s hands curl into fists, and he takes a breath to remove any emotion from his face as all the knights look toward Sir Rogers.

“We must begin the search at once,” King Thor continues, and Sir Rogers sits. He then proceeds to explain the little knowledge they have. Excalibur went missing two nights ago, and a quick and quiet search of the castle turned up no leads. Groups of knights were to be sent out on the main roads, searching for parties that have left Camelot. Spymaster Fury has already sent scouts, and hopefully they will have gathered additional information by the time the knights met up with them.

Then King Thor sighs. “Sir Sif and Sir Rogers have convinced me that sending myself out on search as well is not a logical plan. I must be here, completing my duties - for if I do not show them I can rule without Excalibur, how can they possibly believe it?”

“Tony, do you - uh, can the Court Wizard scry for Excalibur?” Rhodey ventures as Sir Sif begins to outline how they each were to cover the terrain.

All eyes turn to Tony, and he folds his arms into the sleeves of his cloak and steps up the table. He’s reeling from the information, facts that he should’ve been told _immediately_ , this whole time he was working on a new potion and he could’ve been -

“No, you can’t scry for Excalibur,” Rogers answers as Tony opens his mouth.

Tony swallows his words and gives the table a tight smile. “True, and yet not. Excalibur is, in simple terms, a tangible embodiment of this land’s magic. Until - unless Excalibur leaves our borders, it will be masked and I won’t be able to pinpoint its location with scrying.”

“We don’t want to let it get to that point,” Rogers dismisses.

King Thor stands, and Tony steps back from the table before he does something stupid, like punch Rogers in the face.

“I urge you to make haste and bring Excalibur back where it belongs, but I must also ask of you for discretion. Enemies may find our perceived weakness to be opportunity, and I desire to prevent the spilling of blood that would occur would we need to prove no weakness exists. I wish you all speed.”

The king strides for the door, Sir Sif in his wake, and knights in their path bow their heads. As Tony moves to follow, his role at the table finished, Sir Rogers grabs his arm.

“What?” Tony hisses as he yanks on his arm, but Rogers doesn’t release him.

“You’re with me,” Rogers says, frowning.

Tony flicks a small cantrip, and Rogers lets go of his arm with a hiss as his fingers burn. “I’m the _Court_ Wizard,” Tony explains, dusting off his sleeve.

“And the king wants his Court Wizard with me on search. He seems to think you’ll have useful skills, but at least you’ll get field experience.” Tony opens his mouth but Rogers cuts him off, “If you don’t like it take it up with the king. I already tried to talk him out of it.”

Tony snaps his jaw shut and glares. He shouldn’t, can’t be hurt, he doesn’t want to go on this adventure with Rogers of all people anyway. Rogers, who doesn’t think he has any skills. Rogers, who is going to spend this entire time comparing Tony to his father. Rogers, who thinks Howard invented magic when he gave Rogers his shield. Rogers, Rogers, Rogers.

Tony wants to spit at him. His fingers twitch another small cantrip, but he keeps the smirk off his face as Rogers’ shoulders tense. His clothing is going to itch for the rest of the day, just often enough to be uncomfortable, nothing that would cause Rogers to be able to conclude that there was a magical origin to his discomfort.

“I am a servant of the king,” Tony then acquiesces, a small smile on his face as he stares Rogers down.

Rogers frowns, still severe. No doubt at being unable to take Tony to task for his words. “Be at the stables in two hours. Pack light,” he commands, and then turns away to address Sir Barton.

Tony bristles, but he’s already gotten his payback as Rogers scratches the back of his shoulder as he talks. Tony exchanges quick goodbyes with Rhodey, who is headed east with Sir Wilson, before heading back to his room.

There’s a lot a wizard can pack into a small space, and Rogers is going to regret pissing him off when he runs out of clean clothes on day three.

 


End file.
